Role In Violent Behavior Research Articles

Do Attitudes Toward Violence Affect Violent Behavior?

ABSTRACT Attitudes toward violence are important in theoretical explanations of violent behavior and efforts to reduce violent behavior. Though an association between attitudes and violent behavior has been demonstrated, most studies have used correlational/observational research designs. We conducted a randomized experiment to test the effect of attitudes toward violence on violent behavior with 285 men from the community. Participants were randomly assigned to receive material to make attitudes toward violence more negative or to a control condition. Violent behavior was then approximated by asking participants to select from a range of violent and nonviolent options in response to a series of interpersonal conflict vignettes. Participants in the negative attitude condition responded with less violence on the vignette questionnaire than did participants in the control condition (Cohen’s d = −0.23, 95% CI [−0.46, 0.01]). Participants also completed a measure of attitudes toward violence at the end of the experiment; more positive attitudes toward violence showed a strong association with more violent responding on the vignette questionnaire (r = .62, 95% bootstrapped CI [.54, .69]). Consistent with theory and practice, our findings suggest that attitudes toward violence may play a role in violent behavior.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Targeting the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Reduces Reactive Aggression and Modulates Electrophysiological Responses in a Forensic Population

BackgroundStudies have shown that impairments in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex play a crucial role in violent behavior in forensic patients who also abuse cocaine and alcohol. Moreover, interventions that aimed to reduce violence risk in those patients are found not to be optimal. A promising intervention might be to modulate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex by high-definition (HD) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The current study aimed to examine HD-tDCS as an intervention to increase empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic substance dependent offenders. In addition, using electroencephalography, we examined the effects on the P3 and the late positive potential of the event-related potentials in reaction to situations that depict victims of aggression. MethodsFifty male forensic patients with a substance dependence were tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study. The patients received HD-tDCS 2 times a day for 20 minutes for 5 consecutive days. Before and after the intervention, the patients completed self-reports and performed the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, and electroencephalography was recorded while patients performed an empathy task. ResultsResults showed a decrease in aggressive responses on the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm and in self-reported reactive aggression in the active tDCS group. Additionally, we found a general increase in late positive potential amplitude after active tDCS. No effects on trait empathy and the P3 were found. ConclusionsCurrent findings are the first to find positive effects of HD-tDCS in reducing aggression and modulating electrophysiological responses in forensic patients, showing the potential of using tDCS as an intervention to reduce aggression in forensic mental health care.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an intervention to improve empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic offenders: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundRecent studies show that changes in one of the brain areas related to empathic abilities (i.e. the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)) plays an important role in violent behavior in abusers of alcohol and cocaine. According to the models of James Blair, empathy is a potential inhibitor of violent behavior. Individuals with less empathic abilities may be less susceptible and motivated to inhibit violent behavior, which causes a higher risk of violence. Recent neuroscientific research shows that modulating (stimulation or inhibition) certain brain areas could be a promising new intervention for substance abuse and to reduce violent behavior, such as the neurostimulation technique transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). This study aims to investigate tDCS as an intervention to increase empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic substance use offenders.Methods/designA total sample of 50 male forensic substance abuse patients (25 active and 25 sham stimulation) will be tested in a double-blind placebo-controlled study, from which half of the patients will receive an active stimulation plus treatment as usual (TAU) and the other half will receive sham stimulation (placebo) plus TAU. The patients in the active condition will receive multichannel tDCS targeting the bilateral vmPFC two times a day for 20 min for five consecutive days. Before and after the stimulation period, the patients will complete self-report measurements, perform the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) and a passive viewing empathy task. Resting state electroencephalography (rsEEG) will be performed before and after the treatment period. A follow up will be conducted after 6 months. The primary outcome is to investigate multichannel tDCS as a new intervention to increase empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in offenders with substance abuse problems. In addition, we will determine whether electrophysiological responses in the brain are affected by the tDCS intervention. Finally, the effects of tDCS on reducing craving will be investigated.DiscussionThis study is one of the first studies using multichannel tDCS targeting the vmPFC in a forensic sample. This study will explore the opportunities to introduce a new intervention to improve empathic abilities and reduce violence in forensic substance use offenders. Specifically, this study may give insight into how to implement the tDCS intervention in the setting of daily clinical practice in this complex, multiple-problem target group and with that contribute to reduction of recidivism.Trial registrationDutch Trial Register, NTR7701. Registered on 12 January 2019. Prospectively registered before the recruitment phase. https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/7459.Recruitment started on the 1st of February 2019 and will be finished approximately in the winter of 2019. Protocol version 1. 22 May 2019.

Cognitive and affective empathy: The role in violent behavior and psychopathy

AntecedentsSeveral studies have suggested empathy impairment in psychopathy. It has been highly associated to violent and criminal behavior. Empathy is not a univariate concept; however, studies about the role of empathy components in this population are inconclusive and they are mostly made in forensic samples. ObjectiveTo explore the relationships of psychopathy with the empathy dimensions and to probe if there is a continuum considering general population and forensic groups. Material and methodsEighty adult males were recruited and divided into three groups: control group (healthy man from general population; n=21), violent group 1 (violent men from general population; n=24) and violent group 2 (criminal offenders; n=35), who were case files of inmates in high security prisons in Mexico. All subjects were assessed with an aggression questionnaire (RPQ), a Psychopathy checklist (PCL-R; SV) and an empathy scale (IRI). One-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were carried out to compare age, education years, empathy factors and psychopathy scores between groups; we also conducted regression analyses to probe the effect of psychopathy on each empathy subscale. ResultsWe found psychopathy differences between groups where violent group 2 obtained the highest scores, followed by the violent group 1 and the controls with the lowest scores. The perspective taking subscale showed differences between the control group and the two violent groups; the violent groups did not differ. Additionally, there were significant differences in the personal distress subscale between the three groups where violent group 2 had the highest scores. Moreover, we found a positive association between personal distress sand psychopathy; meanwhile, perspective taking scores were negatively associated with psychopathy. ConclusionsPsychopathy and violent behavior are known for a lack of empathy; however, the empathy dimensions provide a better understanding of the mechanism underlying this non-prosocial behavior.

Whole Blood Serotonin Levels among Pretrial Murder Defendants

A growing body of literature increasingly supports the notion that serotonergic dysfunction may play a role in violent behavior. These findings come from animal and clinical research that probes serotonin activity through selective animal breeding techniques, central nervous system measures of serotonin, and now the indirect assessment of central serotonin function by using whole blood serotonin. In this study, 20 men arrested for murder and referred for a mental evaluation provided blood samples to measure their whole blood serotonin. The results from these men were compared with those of a 93-person reference group. Statistical analysis confirmed an increased level of whole blood serotonin in the pretrial murder defendants. The murder defendants' mean blood serotonin level was 0.41 SD higher than the reference group's. This study also found elevated whole blood serotonin among men who self-reported at least one episode of fire setting or juvenile arrest.